A Russian former employee of chip machine manufacturer ASML has been given an entry ban for twenty years by Minister Marjolein Faber (PVV, Asylum and Migration), according to reports. News hour Friday evening. It concerns German A., a 43-year-old engineer. He is suspected of supplying goods and technology to Russia. A. is already in custody and will be arraigned in Rotterdam on Monday.
An entry ban of twenty years is rarely imposed and is the longest possible entry ban in the Netherlands. It is only used when an individual “poses a threat to national security.”
The suspect is said to have violated sanctions legislation by selling confidential information from a number of companies, including ASML, to one or more people in Russia. He is said to have received several tens of thousands of euros for the information.
ASML filed a report
The suspect, who lives in Hilversum, is currently in the Krimpen aan den IJssel Penitentiary, awaiting trial. The entry ban imposed on him by Minister Faber applies from the moment he leaves the European Union. ASML has confirmed the theft of company information to Nieuwsuur and the company has filed a report.
The Russian engineer has been working in the Netherlands since 2015. He first worked for the Delft company Mapper Lithography, which has since been declared bankrupt, which was taken over by ASML. Mapper is still active in Russia. There it is owned by the Russian military drone maker Astron. He also worked for the Eindhoven chipmaker NXP and for the Delft University of Technology.
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